Ford and Renault’s New Partnership Could Revive the Fiesta Nameplate

The two automakers are teaming up to build low-cost EVs in Europe to fight the recent flood of Chinese vehicles.By Jack FitzgeraldPublished: Dec 10, 2025Save Article

Ford

Ford and Renault are joining forces in Europe as a way for both brands to combat the rise in sales of Chinese cars on the continent.
The two brands will work together to develop a pair of small electric vehicles, which Renault will build, and it could lead to a new Ford Fiesta.
Slated to reach European dealerships in 2028, these upcoming small cars are separate from the $30,000 EV that Ford has been working on in the United States.

Teamwork makes the dream work, as the saying goes. Or at least, that’s the going theory in the boardrooms of Ford and Renault. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, the two automakers are teaming up in Europe to better compete against low-cost EVs from Chinese automakers.

The partnership will see Ford design two small electric cars, which will be co-developed between the two brands and ultimately built on a Renault technology platform in France, with a target on-sale date in 2028. The automakers haven’t released any specifics on what the models will look like, but we know they’re targeting affordability. Could this spur the return of the pint-sized Fiesta, albeit in electric form, and possibly a new version of its fun-loving ST counterpart? We’ll have to wait and see.Renault

While Ford has scaled back its investment in EVs in the United States, it’s continuing to work on a $30,000 electric car for North America, though that model will apparently be larger than the cars Ford is building with Renault. According to the WSJ report, the two brands are also exploring the possibility of working together on commercial vans, which make up a sizeable chunk of Ford’s European presence.

“We know we’re in a fight for our lives in our industry, and no better example than here in Europe,” Ford CEO Jim Farley reportedly told journalists in Paris. According to Farley, the partnership makes sense as the French company is better positioned in the European market. “Frankly, Renault is more competitive,” he said.

While both companies have histories of buying stakes in partner automakers, there’s apparently no chance of that happening between Ford and Renault. “Ford is a wildly independent company,” Farley said.